


(Every day I hope to see a moving truck pull in.  Or an ambulance.)

by softly (alexenglish)



Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderqueer Character, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 12:33:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12276567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexenglish/pseuds/softly
Summary: I am writing a book of love poetry for you.  For example: “The only reason you could possibly need your music that loud is if you were planning to listen from my apartment.  You downstairs motherfuckers.”





	(Every day I hope to see a moving truck pull in.  Or an ambulance.)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [katarama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/katarama/gifts).



> [a softer world project](http://queerlyalex.tumblr.com/asofterworld)

 

‘Valerie’ is playing through the walls tonight.

Amy Winehouse.

Just like, as loud as the boys downstairs can get away with apparently.

Which isn’t abnormal considering there’s some bizarre shared duct system that basically filters all significant noise from the flat downstairs to Zayn’s, but Zayn misses the days where the only significant noise from the flat downstairs was the old cat lady listening to her evening news at top volume. At least ze got information out of that. This is just obnoxious.

And, okay, it’s not like Zayn’s doing anything productive other than reading, something ze can definitely do while there are loud noises happening since ze grew up in a loud house with loud sisters. But if ze couldn’t? Or if ze were studying? Or if ze were _sleeping_? It probably would have woke zir up.

It’s the principle of the matter, honestly.

Ze reckoned once the cat lady was gone, ze’d have some peace and quiet, but barely a week later there were these two. Zayn stood on the landing as they and a couple of others moved furniture up the stairs with very poor coordination, trying to guess which ones were going to be staying.

Ze hoped whoever moved in would be quiet, but Zayn’s not that lucky.

Nearly every week since then, Zayn storms downstairs to bang on the door and ask that the music get turned down. Every week it does get turned down, but ze’s not really fond of having to storm downstairs in the first place.

There’s a tiny voice in zir mind that reminds zir if ze got a phone number or two, this wouldn’t be an issue. Ze could text and that would be that. But if ze texts, ze doesn’t have an excuse to go downstairs and Zayn doesn’t know if ze likes that.

Whatever.

The music is achingly loud when ze gets to the door of the flat directly below zir. There’s a faint rattling sound from the bass shaking the metal bits of the door. Before tonight, if someone asked zir whether or not Valerie had any bass to it, ze would have said no, but the door says otherwise.

Ze use the side of zir fist to pound on the wood.

The music comes to an abrupt halt. Zayn’s ears ring.

It’s routine by now. Harry answers the door with a sweet smile, all dimples and bright eyes, gaze sweeping over Zayn before lingering on zir face. It never fails to make Zayn flush.

“Like your digs,” Harry says, jerking his chin at Zayn’s top. It’s a cropped sweater, bottom brushing zir belly button, sleeves long enough to curl zir hands into. Zir sweats are low from coming down the stairs, and that just makes zir go even warmer. Ze didn’t think to change before ze came down.

“Thanks,” Zayn says.

“Not much of a boy today?” Harry asks, eyeing Zayn’s blue painted nails. Zayn pulls zir sleeves down.

Zayn knows it’s innocent, but ze’s tired today. Tired of jogging down the stairs all the time, of Harry answering the door like this because he knows ze’s coming. Always making a comment about the gender he assumes ze’s inhabiting today based on zir clothes.

He’s rarely ever right, but Zayn hasn’t told him to sod off because he’s cute. Stupid cute, really. Brown hair curling around his ears, pushed off his forehead. Jawline to die for. Cheekbones, and deep dimples, and the kind of eyes you need a road map to get out of.

“That’s not how it goes,” Zayn says with a sigh. Harry makes a face that looks apologetic and shrugs.

“Did it work?” Louis asks loudly, jogging up behind Harry. He nudges Harry over with his hip and crowds the doorway, giving Zayn the exact same once-over Harry did. The two of them are honestly the worst.

Zayn looks right back, but Louis doesn’t seem self conscious about it. He’s leaning against the door in a way that makes him look deceptively long, shirtless with all his tattoos and soft tummy.

Zayn curls zir fingers into zir sleeves tighter. “Did _what_ work?” Zayn asks.

“ _Won’t you come on over_?” Louis sings, shimmying his shoulders and hips a bit ridiculously. Harry laughs, watching Louis fondly. “ _Stop making a fool out of me. Why won’t you come on over_ Zaynie. _Oh oh_!”

“Shut up,” Zayn snorts, unable to keep the laugh out of zir voice. Louis looks absolutely delighted, sharp blue eyes meeting Zayn’s as he winks.

When ze first moved in Louis was ‘the cute one with fringe’ and Harry was ‘the cute one with the legs’, and Zayn couldn’t figure out whether or not they were shagging. Not that it was Zayn’s business, but ze was curious. Harry ended up flirting with zir in the lift once and Louis came up to borrow a cup of sugar almost immediately afterwards. Who even _does that_?

Zayn wondered if it was Louis’ way of checking up on zir because he and Harry  _were_ together and Louis was nosy. It was. A few days later their flat was quiet for once, and Zayn heard them shagging through that nifty shared duct system; turns out the music was probably turned up so loud to hide the fact that Louis was noisy as hell. 

The next time ze ran into Harry, ze was very flustered and had to listen to Harry explain that he’d told Louis he’d ran into a ‘very fit bloke’ on the way up, and Louis wanted to see for himself, and definitely thought Zayn was fit as well. Zayn couldn’t really be mad, since they both seemed to think ze was cute  _and_ it was a nice segway into the gender conversation that Zayn had to have with every person ze’d ever met in zir life.

 _By the way I’m not a bloke_. Took a bit of explaining. Zayn isn’t sure either of them have a firm grasp on the concept, but they both used Zayn’s pronouns and don’t say stupid shite as often as they could. It’s sweet that they try.

So, definitely together. Definitely still super flirty with Zayn, the both of them.

“You should come hang out,” Louis says, jerking his head towards the apartment.

“Uhm,” Zayn says. It’s the first time ze’s been invited in. Ze doesn't know what to do, so ze lies, “I need to sleep actually, I just, y’know --” Ze jerk zir thumb to the stairs like that means anything. Both Harry and Louis have amused smiles on their faces. “Keep it down, please.”

“Sure,” Harry and Louis say at the same time, exchanging a look. Probably doing that weird cryptophasia thing they sometimes do when they don’t think anyone’s paying attention. Silent conversations in the form of tilting heads and lifted eyebrows and twitching mouths.

Zayn thanks them and darts back up the stairs, taking them a few at a time until ze’s around the landing.

Ze hates how flustered ze gets around the two of them. Ze usually doesn’t have this problem with people. Sure, ze’s a bit shy and keeps zir mouth shut more often than not, but this is something else entire. Something that involves a lot more blushing than Zayn would like.

It’s winter. Ze’s very pale at the moment and the pink shows up more readily than it does when ze’s had proper sun. Obvious, like.

“Oi, Zayn!” Louis calls from behind zir. Ze turns and watches as Louis runs up the stairs, phone in his hand.

“Uhm,” Zayn says, as Louis shoves it at zir.

“We’d like your number,” Louis says, jerking his chin at the phone. “Well, I would. And then I’m going to give it to Harold so we’ll both have it.”

“Okay.” Zayn pulls up the phone app and puts in zir number before handing it back, blinking at the way Louis’ smiling at zir.

“I'll call your phone, so you’ll have my number,” Louis says, swiping at the screen. “You’re not allowed to use it to tell us to turn down the music though.”

“I-What?”

“Like, if you text about the noise I’ll ignore you,” Louis clarifies. “I like when you come down and we get to see you. I always think, ‘maybe ze’ll come in sometime’... If you just text, then you definitely won’t.”

“I, uh, I mean I will, next time,” Zayn promises, feeling zirself blush again.

Louis’ grin gets even wider, if it’s possible. “We’ll be waiting,” he says, winking before he makes his way back down the stairs, doing that stupid shimmy of his as he sings, “ _I’ll be waiting for you to come on over, Zaynie_.”

**Author's Note:**

> [reblog on tumblr](http://queerlyalex.tumblr.com/post/166087161072/every-day-i-hope-to-see-a-moving-truck-pull-in)


End file.
